


Bliss

by ElainaFairchild



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: How Do I Tag, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Sorry, M/M, Please Don't Kill Me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 21:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5716915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElainaFairchild/pseuds/ElainaFairchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus, Sam, and Hearth join Blitz to help him set up Blitzen's Best. Fluff ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bliss

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! I am new here. I just finished reading The Sword of Summer and I have all the feels for Blitzstone, hence the shameless, fluffy, cliche word-vomit you see before you. Hope you like it anyway!

One 90-minute PowerPoint presentation later (plus a week of practice), and Hearthstone was on his way to Blitzen’s Best—or rather, the shop on Newbury Street that would soon be known as such. Blitzen himself had recruited Hearth, Magnus, and Sam to help him set up shop.

Hearth was excited for the chance to see his friends—his family—again. They hadn’t been separated for long, but to Hearth it felt like an eternity; he had spent so much of his life without a proper family, and it was unexpectedly painful to part ways so quickly after finally finding a place where he belonged.

Blitz was waiting for him when he entered the empty boutique, and he smiled at the sight of the elf. He waved hello, striding quickly towards Hearth to envelop him in a warm hug. Blitzen was the best hugger in the Nine Worlds—Hearth was sure of it. Hearth almost felt bad for everyone else that he was the only one who got to experience Blitz’s hugs, but he knew that if Blitzen hugged anyone else, he would be more than a little jealous.

_How was it?_ Blitz asked, knowing that Hearth would know what he meant.

_It was good. Very educational_ , he signed. Blitz laughed.

_Good. You can use your new skills to help me get this place ready._

_Where are Sam and Magnus?_

_They’re on their way. Sam had to take an English test. Her and Magnus are meeting up at her school and walking over together._

Hearth nodded his understanding. _What do you want me to do?_

_I need your help moving the heavy stuff. You have anything for that?_

Hearth looked thoughtful before revealing a rune.

_U-R-U-Z_ , Hearth spelled. _Strength._

_Great! I’ll be like Superman or something_ , Blitz signed with a grin. Hearth rolled his eyes.

_Or something._

Blitz slapped his arm playfully. _I would be a great Superman. I’m already stronger than a human; with that rune I will be even more awesome! Plus, there’s the whole saving-the-world thing we’ve got going._

_You’re too short to be Superman_ , Hearth signed. Blitz narrowed his eyes, and Hearth quickly changed the subject. _That rune will only increase your strength by a little. You will need this, too. E-I-H-W-A-Z. Endurance._

_I don’t think the stuff is that heavy. Just a few racks and shelves. The rest of it is clothes._

_Clothes? Already?_

_Oh yeah_ , the dwarf grinned. _I’ve been busy. Made a few items. Not much. Once we set up all the shelves and stuff, we can display the things I’ve made and hopefully start bringing in some customers._

Samirah and Magnus chose that moment to show up. Sam was sporting a brand new hijab, courtesy of Blitzen. It was a beautiful shade of midnight blue, with silver threads scattered through it like stars, and it draped over her head and shoulders in the elegantly haphazard-looking way only Sam could achieve.

“Hey Mom, hey Dad,” Sam greeted them with a smirk, her eyes flicking first to Hearthstone, then Blitzen.

“Definitely the annoying sister,” Blitz grumbled fondly.

_Why am I the mom?_ Hearth asked, his head tilting slightly.

“No reason,” she said lightly, looking away as if she had already moved on to another topic. Hearth was silently impressed at how quickly she had picked up ASL.

“We ran into some old ‘friends’ on our way here. They asked me where my ‘mom and dad’ were, and of course Sam here just couldn’t let it go,” Magnus said, glaring playfully at the girl, who was looking anywhere but at them, an expression of feigned innocence on her face.

_But why am_ I _the_ mom? the elf repeated, emphasizing the sign for ‘mom’ with a perplexed look on his face.

Blitz clapped a hand down on his shoulder, jolting Hearth’s somewhat-worryingly thin frame. “Let’s get to work, everybody.”

They decided to forgo using the rune magic and instead worked as a group to carry all of the various clothing racks, shelves, and display tables from the alley in the back (where a delivery truck had dropped them off earlier) and into the store. Once it was all inside the building, Blitzen stood in the middle of the room, directing Magnus, Sam, and Hearth on how to arrange everything. Blitz was just as picky about interior design as he was about clothing design, and it took about an hour before he finally settled on an arrangement that he liked (which just so happened to be the arrangement it had all been in in the first place).

Once all of the necessary furniture was in place, Blitz led the four of them back out of the building, this time to a shiny new car he had bought with the money leftover after buying the shop. Odin had rewarded him well, apparently.

Upon opening the trunk of the car, Hearth discovered that ‘a few items’ actually equated to ‘enough clothing items to fill the store one and a half times over’. They each grabbed a stack and began to fill the store, carrying it all inside in trips.

Organizing all of the clothes went much more quickly than they had expected, and soon Blitzen’s Best was all set up, the four of them sitting on the floor in a happily exhausted heap.

“Thanks guys,” Blitz said, breaking the comfortable silence. “This would’ve taken me forever without your help.”

“No problem, buddy,” Magnus said with a tired grin and lazily lifted his hand to give Blitz a high-five over Sam, who was between them. “Happy to help. Plus, it’s good to hang out with you guys without the threat of death hanging over our heads, for once.”

“Seconded,” Sam said, raising her hand like she was still in class. She was sprawled on the floor, her headscarf pulled down over her face, but Hearth didn’t need to see her lips to know she was smiling. Blitz leaned over, brushing his fingers along the hem of the hijab where it lay on the floor. He glanced up at the elf.

“What do you think, Hearth? I’m pretty proud of it.”

_You should be. It’s beautiful._

“Thanks,” the dwarf beamed. “It’s the first thing I made after everything settled down.”

Samirah sat up, the fabric falling from her face. “A fact I am ever so grateful for.”

_Does it have any powers?_ Hearth asked.

“Oh yeah,” Blitz nodded excitedly, making Hearth crack a small smile. “It’s actually pretty handy, if I do say so myself.”

“Definitely,” Sam agreed. “You remember the Expando-Duck?”

Hearth nodded. _Of course._

“Well, it’s kind of like that; it can expand so I can camouflage all four of us.”

“I upgraded the camouflaging ability, too,” Blitz added. “Now, it can change color automatically to match whatever outfit she’s wearing.”

Hearth took in Sam’s light-grey peacoat, navy-blue blouse, and denim jeans. The blue and silver of her veil went perfectly with the rest of her outfit, and Hearth nodded his approval.

_Beautiful! You make the most wonderful things._

Blitz averted his eyes, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Hearth thought he was probably imagining it, but the dwarf’s cheeks seemed just a smidge rosier than normal. Sam and Magnus exchanged a meaningful glance, but what it meant, Hearth couldn’t have said.

“Yeah, well…” Blitzen cleared his throat and gathered his composure. “Anyway, I’ve been experimenting with paradoxes, too. I threw in a couple while making her scarf—a cat’s humility and a school pencil-sharpener that actually sharpens pencils. Just to see what would happen, you know.”

Sam nodded appreciatively. “The thing’s practically indestructible. It’s like wearing a bullet-proof helmet on my head, without the bulk and the weight.”

_That’s amazing, Blitzen_ , Hearth signed with a smile. _**You’re amazing**_ , he thought, but the embarrassed blush he felt rising in his cheeks at the mere _thought_ of saying that to Blitz made him want to shove his hands in his pockets, lest they betray him.

Blitz looked away again and Magnus chuckled, watching his two friends struggle to keep the heat from their cheeks. They were failing spectacularly. Blitz scowled at Magnus, but the boy only laughed harder.

“Well,” Samirah said abruptly, standing up, “I should start heading home. School gets out soon, and I do not want to be getting home late; I don’t think my grandparents would ever un-ground me.”

Magnus stood too. “I’ll walk with you. I should probably be heading back to Valhalla anyway.”

Sam looked down at Hearth and Blitz, still sprawled on the floor, and smiled. “This was really nice. I’m glad I could help, and I’m glad I got to spend some time with you guys.”

Magnus nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we should do this again. Soon. Preferably before the next big crisis.”

Blitz chuckled. “Agreed.”

The dwarf and the elf watched their friends leave the store in contented silence.

_Do you have to leave too?_ Blitzen asked, switching to ASL now that he didn’t have to speak aloud for anyone’s benefit.

_Not unless you want me to_ , Hearth replied.

_Good._ Blitz paused, hands still awkwardly in the air like he was unsure of what to say, before he continued. _Thanks for helping me today._

_Of course. What are friends for?_ Hearth replied with the brilliant smile he saved just for Blitz.

They sat in companionable silence for a while before Hearthstone remembered something that had been bugging him.

_Blitzen?_

_Yeah?_

_Why am I the mom?_

Blitz looked surprised, as if he had forgotten the conversation and had expected Hearth to forget, too. Then, a grin broke out across his face and he laughed.

_You are laughing at me_ , Hearth signed, raising one eyebrow in annoyance.

The dwarf shook his head. _Not at you_ , Blitz reassured him.

_Then why?_

Blitzen did not reply; he continued laughing, and Hearth found himself saddened that he couldn’t hear it. He imagined Blitz’s laugh was like the rest of him—absolutely wonderful.

Hearth hesitantly extended one hand, and with his free hand, he asked, _May I?_

Blitz nodded, and Hearth pressed his palm to the dwarf’s chest to feel the vibrations of his laugh. He could tell it was a deep laugh, probably boisterous and infectious. The best sort of laugh, in his (totally unbiased) opinion. Sadly, the laughter was dying down. First, to a few occasional chuckles, then to a low hum, and finally to complete silence. Hearth looked up to see Blitz watching him intensely, as if the elf were a puzzle he was trying to solve.

Hearth snatched his hand back from Blitz’s chest, feeling heat flood his cheeks and just knowing that his face was turning emerald green. _Sorry_ , he signed, looking sheepish.

_For what?_ Blitz asked, confusion creasing his brow.

Hearth had no idea how to answer that. What was he sorry for? For touching him? Maybe, but he knew that wasn’t really what this was about. In truth, he wasn’t actually all that sorry. He was embarrassed at the feelings that stirred in his chest whenever he touched his friend, especially when Blitz probably didn’t even care—probably didn’t even realize that it meant so much to the elf.

Hearth hadn’t realized he was looking down at his hands—which were twisting uncomfortably in his lap—until he felt a pair of fingers on his chin, tilting his face up to look into Blitz’s concerned eyes. _What’s wrong?_ the dwarf demanded, his eyes just daring Hearth to brush him off.

Hearthstone hesitated. He wished he could just say ‘nothing’, but he knew that Blitz wouldn’t accept that answer; the stubborn dwarf would continue to question him until he gave in and admitted what he was feeling. Gathering his courage, he decided it was stupid to put off the inevitable.

_I am ashamed_ , he said simply.

_Why?_

_Because…_ Hearth hesitated again; a lifetime of rejection made a person wary of the potential for more. _Because it means more to me when I touch you than it means to you. It feels… selfish._

Blitzen’s eyes widened, his jaw slackening. His shock was almost tangible. Little did Hearth know, his words brought a flutter of hope to life in Blitz’s chest.

_Selfish?_ Blitzen asked, uncertain. It took a moment for Hearth to reply.

_Yes._ A long pause, in which Hearth studied Blitz's face critically. Then, _I love you._

Hearth watched his friend’s hands, waiting for the inevitable rejection but incapable of meeting the dwarf’s eyes. He watched as those well-used hands rose toward his face, startling him into looking up at Blitz. He had expected anger or confusion, but he found neither. Instead, his friend wore a curious expression that Hearth had never seen before. The dwarf couldn’t seem to maintain eye contact with Hearth, his eyes flicking back and forth between the elf’s eyes and somewhere lower on his face. Perhaps the tip of his nose?

Hearth felt those warm, slightly-rough hands finally reach their destination; one on his cheek, the other on the back of his neck. The elf found himself being pulled in closer, the distance between his face and Blitz’s rapidly decreasing, and he instinctively closed his eyes.

Their lips touched, and it was bliss.

The empty cup runneth over.

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah. That happened. Did I mention that this fic is stupidly fluffy? Or maybe it's just stupid... I'll let you guys figure that out for yourselves. Thanks for reading!


End file.
